The present invention relates to a one-way rotary switch configured in such a way as to allow a rotary knob to perform a rotation-operation in only one direction.
Some levers respectively provided on steering column parts of vehicles, such as an automobile, are each provided with a rotary switch. Hitherto, generally, such a kind of a rotary switch has been enabled to perform rotation-operations of a rotary knob around an axis both in one direction and in the opposite direction, and configured in such a way as to change over switch elements with progress of the rotation-operation of the rotary knob. In this case, a click mechanism is provided therein so as to afford a click feeling. Generally, this click mechanism comprises a click teeth portion, which has a plurality of click teeth, and a click piece provided in a rotary knob in such a way as to be pushed against the click teeth portion and as to slide on the click teeth portion as the rotary knob rotates.
Meanwhile, there is a demand for a rotary switch that is provided in such a kind of a lever and configured in such a manner as to allow a rotary knob to rotate in only one direction and as to inhibit the rotary knob from rotating in the opposite direction. To meet this demand, a stopper for preventing the rotary knob from performing a rotation-operation in the opposite direction is needed. However, in the case that the stopper is provided as an additional component, the rotary knob has a drawback in that the number of components thereof increases.